Bill Maher Takes Aim at NYC Mayoral Candidate Zoran Mamdani
On a recent episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the host didn’t hold back while addressing New York City mayoral hopeful Zoran Mamdani. Maher approached the topic with a calm demeanor, yet his observations were pointed.
In the segment, which begins around the 7:20 mark, Maher tackled what he sees as a significant discussion among Democrats regarding Mamdani’s political stance. He noted, “Democrats seem to be debating whether Mayor Mamdani is a socialist or a democratic socialist,” before getting directly to his conclusion: “Let me clear this up. He’s a bona fide communist.”
Predicting some pushback, Maher elaborated on how he arrived at that assessment, asking, “How do I know that?” He pointed out a comment from one of Mamdani’s advisers calling for the election of more communists, suggesting that these words carry weight.
Maher made a distinction, asserting that the real issue isn’t the ideology itself but rather the refusal to acknowledge it. “That’s fine. It’s a belief system. He’s allowed to believe it, and people can vote for it,” he remarked. He cautioned that if liberals continue to deny these views, akin to someone going through a goth phase, they risk further electoral losses.
Shifting gears, Maher discussed how American politics appears to have veered into extremes. “This is not a communist country,” he emphasized, describing it as part of what he terms the “pendulum never hits the middle” problem that he often critiques.
He expressed concern that voters are trapped in an unkind binary choice, explaining, “the choices we have are either the worst version of crony capitalism or communism.” Maher presented a hypothetical juxtaposition, suggesting, “Either the Trump family makes backroom deals whenever they do business overseas, or you get rhetoric about improving the white middle class.”
The proposed campaign pitch didn’t impress him, leading to a deadpan delivery of, “Oh yeah, I have a campaign slogan for you.”
As is often the case, the monologue culminated in a quip designed to provoke discomfort, as Maher said, “To be honest, as the New York City mayoral race progressed, I became less frightened by Anthony Weiner’s penis.”
With his remarks, Maher aims to illuminate various facets of the political discussion, ensuring that Mamdani’s name and ideas remain at the forefront.
Real Time with Bill Maher is currently in its 24th season, airing new episodes on Fridays at 10pm ET on HBO.
